معرفی
Jen de los Reyes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art at Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), where she also serves as Associate Dean for Diversity and Equity. Her work sits at the intersection of art, ecology, pedagogy, and community engagement, informed by her roots in the Riot Grrrl and DIY music movements. She is based in both Ithaca, NY, and Chicago, where she founded Garbage Hill Farm, an urban artist-run farm.
Her research and creative practice focus on socially engaged art, interdisciplinary art, art and ecology, and collaborative practice. She emphasizes pedagogical and organizational methodologies, advocating for art as a tool for environmental and social regeneration. She is the founder and former director of Open Engagement, a pivotal international conference (2007–2019) that advanced discourse in socially engaged art. She played a foundational role in developing the Art and Social Practice MFA program at Portland State University (2008–2014) and previously taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Art and Museum and Exhibition Studies.
Her recent projects, particularly LAND—a 4.2-acre site near Ithaca co-led with artist Oscar Rene Cornejo—exemplify her commitment to blending art, ecological stewardship, and community-driven agriculture. The project received a 2025 Creative Capital Project Grant and includes outdoor studios, permaculture, regenerative forestry, and educational programming. Her recent publications, such as Defiantly Optimistic: Turning Up in a World on Fire (2022), reflect her defiantly hopeful stance toward climate and social crises through artistic practice.
- 2025 Creative Capital Project Grant for LAND
- Seed grant from the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities (2024)
Reyes mentors students through courses like LAND: Art, Ecology, and Environmental Activism and has led numerous community-based art initiatives. She has presented widely at institutions including the Brooklyn Museum, UC Berkeley, NYU, and Project Row Houses. Her work has been exhibited at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Oakland Museum of California, and MCA Chicago. She co-founded the Latin American Community Art Project and is active in fostering inclusive, equitable academic and artistic spaces.
Her practice models how art can serve as a site of education, care, and conservation, emphasizing long-term, site-responsive engagement with land and communities.
